Beta-hCG
What it measures, and what changes the number.
Beta-hCG measures human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced mainly by the placenta. Most assays are built around the beta part of the molecule, which is what gives the test its name. It can be run as a quantitative blood test that reports an amount, or as a qualitative test that only reports whether hCG is detected.
It is often read alongside progesterone and estradiol when reproductive hormones are being looked at together, and serial measurements over several days are commonly compared with each other rather than read alone.
Blood and urine tests are not interchangeable, and urine results depend on how concentrated the sample is. Different immunoassays recognise different forms of hCG, such as the intact hormone and the free beta subunit, so numbers from different labs may not match. Labs may print it as Beta HCG.
Often read alongside: Progesterone, Estradiol (E2)